CUSTOMFIT
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES: There are many factors to consider in a comprehensive driver fi tting. Pictured here is a pair of Mizuno’s sleek new JPX825 drivers
Driving in the right direction
Neil Cooke, technical director at Golfsmith Europe, addresses the all-important issue of custom-fi tting drivers
T
he driver was traditionally the hardest club in the bag to hit,
being both the longest and least loſt ed of clubs. However, drivers have probably benefi tted most from technological advances over the past 25 years. New materials and better R&D have made today’s drivers much more user friendly than the old wooden models. The introduction of titanium has made it possible to move weight around the head to improve forgiveness and to help manipulate ball fl ight. By making the clubhead
lighter, manufacturers have been able to make heads bigger. The original ‘metals’ were 190cc in volume, which virtually unimaginable compared to today’s legal limit of 460cc. Today’s large, high-MOI drivers produce straighter and longer miss hits, but there is a trade off with workability. Players looking
12 SGBGOLF
to shape the ball off the tee may have to search around for the increasingly rare drivers with smaller heads. One of the hardest points to
get over to the club golfer is that they should look to increase their average driving distance, not their all time longest drive. The other diffi cult task facing the clubfi tter is the golfer’s perception of distance. Very few golfers have a realistic idea about how far they hit the ball; practically every golfer we ask believe they drive 250 yards and hit 8-iron 150!
The following pointers should go a long way to giving the customer a longer, more consistent driver.
1. Loſt Forget the modern trend for low spin; most club golfers will benefi t from higher spin! Think how many golfers complain they hit their
three-wood as far as their driver. This is mainly due to the extra loft, which gives slower swingers a better launch angle, higher spin, more airtime and so more distance. Backspin doesn’t harm the club golfer; it’s the sidespin that does the damage. By increasing loft and backspin, the result should be greater accuracy and lower scores.
2. Length Practically all manufacturers make their standard length drivers at 45”, if not even longer! Again, this is okay for increasing someone’s longest drive, but it cuts down on accuracy and control, and ultimately on average driving distance. A 44” driver hit in the middle will always go further than a 46” driver hit out of the heel.
3. Shaſt Flex As with other clubs, it is generally better to fi t on the softer side rather than the stiff er. This makes it easier to ‘load the shaft’ and to let the club do
a lot of the work in gaining distance. The softer fl ex prevents the golfer having to swing fl at out all the time to get anything out of the club.
4. Shaſt Weight The shaft weight is the biggest variable in the total weight of a driver. Faster swingers looking for control may benefi t from heavier shafts, while the ultra lightweight shafts can help the slower swinging golfer gain clubhead speed.
These four points, above, should be a club fi tter’s fi rst considerations, before other specifi cations have to be taken into account such as torque, kick point, balance point, face angle and hosel off set. Lastly, it is sometimes the more
obvious things that can make a staggering diff erence to ball striking and distance, so don’t overlook tee height and ball position! These two factors often increase distance with a golfer’s old driver!
www.golfsmith-europe.co.uk
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